


reality can be whatever I want

by lavendericecoffee



Series: TFTBL AU [5]
Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Character Study, Conversations, Explicit Language, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene, Mutual Pining, Pre-Relationship, TFTBL AU, Violence, injuries, y'know without the lovers part. yet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:16:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23900686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavendericecoffee/pseuds/lavendericecoffee
Summary: “Hey, Tim?”Timothy didn’t even spare him a look, “Are we alone, or ishethere with you?”Oh, this definitely won’t be pretty.After the confession of Handsome Jack's AI in his head and his plan to infiltrate Helios, Rhys needs to set things right with Timothy. Somehow.
Relationships: Timothy Lawrence/Rhys
Series: TFTBL AU [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1801879
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	reality can be whatever I want

**Author's Note:**

> did I seriously just name this fic after a gdamn Thanos quote? yes, I did
> 
> and here I come back to you with another monster length of a fic. again, I used [ Spok](https://spoks-illogical-art.tumblr.com/)'s [ TFTBL AU](https://spoks-illogical-art.tumblr.com/tagged/tftbl-au) for this. you might recognize it from my other fic ["still here"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22408984) but it's not excatly important to read it before this one. or actually what happens in this fic happens before events of "still here", as this fic happens during episode 4  
> I seriously hope everything's readable here when it comes to the AU fkjdfsnb one thing u gotta know is that while infiltrating Helios, Tim has to play Handsome Jack at the VIP tour. I think everything else is pretty clear  
> I also made several changes like the group staying together instead of splitting Rhys and Fiona for Old Haven/Scooter mission but hey. roll the Thanos line

Rhys didn’t enjoy running. Especially when he was forced to do so.

He was also aware of the fact that sometimes he just _had to_ run. And nothing hadn’t hammered this fact in more so than a swarm of furious bandits, trying to get to every inch of his skin. His knowledge of the bounty on his head and their leader’s almost holy command certainly didn’t help.

So he ran for his life. Rhys didn’t know how long it’s been already. 10 minutes? Half an hour? 2 hours? All he knew that while walking through the desert with Vaughn, they heard angry shouting coming closer to them with each passing second. Next thing he remembered, he was out of breath, running through the sand, trying to protect himself from everything and everyone.

Where the hell was Vaughn even? He couldn’t remember the last time he’d saw him. He truly hoped that Loader Bot had swept in and saved him. Well, when he’s done dealing with the angry mob, he’ll surely go find him. But first things first. He had to either hide or take them all by himself.

Seeing how strangely Vallory’s goons have expanded in the sum, Rhys much preferred the first option. He didn’t know where he was nor where he was going. He just knew he had to get somewhere fast.

When his muscles started getting weaker to the point of reaching the limit, a haven has appeared. Old Haven that is. Rhys’ face flashed with a bright smile. Forcing his legs to go just a little bit further, in his last-ditch effort he reached the place. He stepped onto one of the alleyways and hoped with all of what he had left that he’d finally be safe.

His chest rose and fell rapidly, trying to finally catch some breath. Rhys looked around and with an easy step he backed out. With nothing in sight, he proceeded to go on and escape this place. He would have to find Vaughn and let them get back safely to the group, wherever the hell they-

A loud crunch made him froze in the place. Rhys looked down and spotted an old branch right underneath his foot. Oh, crap.

Just as he suspected, every single one of the bandits seemed to catch his glance. He examined everything around him, feeling as if his mind was playing cruel tricks. Soon enough, he knew that it was just the reality. No matter where he looked, bandits rounded up, circling him in one place. His eyes went bigger, as he tried to calm himself down and figure a way out.

If the first plan didn’t work, he had to go with the backup. Unfortunately.

With a swift movement, Rhys took out his stun baton and activated it.

“Stand back!” he commanded, trying to sound as menacingly as possible, “Stand back or you- You will regret this!”

Oh god, how he hated his stutter.

His tries all seemed to go to hell as the only response he could receive was loud laughter from the group.

“Are you kidding? Do you even know how to use this toy? Whatever, when Vallory sees your pretty little head on the plate, she’ll be more than happy,” one of them remarked getting closer.

“I said, stand _back_!” Rhys mustered through the gritted teeth. His heart raced like crazy as he struck a precise hit with his baton, right at the bandit’s neck.

Then he watched said bandit collapse on the ground and convulse due to the electric shock racing through all of his body. And he stayed there, unconscious, without a single drop of life visible.

“Thank you,” Rhys muttered.

Soon enough, he regretted the remark as it seemed to alert every single all the bandits at once. One of them charged full speed at Rhys, screaming and swaying his gun around. As Rhys prepared himself for another shock wave, a sound of a gunshot ringed in his ears. His eyes closed forcibly, his whole body tensed. But he wasn’t the one to get shot.

Instead, the bandit who just a moment before wanted to rip Rhys’ face off was now lying dead. Next to the other stunned one. Surprised grunts could be heard all around but frankly, Rhys didn’t care. He just tried to catch a glimpse of his mysterious rescuer.

And then he saw him. At the top of one of the buildings, clutching tightly to his sniper rifle, delivering the most precise shots Rhys has ever seen in his life – Timothy Lawrence himself.

He could only see him make a vague hand gesture, something like a greeting. This was enough to spike Rhys with a will to keep fighting. Maybe with additional stung right at his heart. Not caused by any of the weapons, of course.

Bandits fell left and right by Timothy’s bullets hitting targets in the most accurate way. Rhys didn’t want to waste any of his chances. His sleek movement made him go from one bandit to another, striking more and more down with his electric novas.

Rhys grinned, getting control with each of the following strike. He was ready to escape and go back to Timothy, as he charged another deadly attack. Then suddenly a loud scream filled the air.

“Rhys, look out-!!”

In a split second, he looked back and spotted Timothy jumping back to the battlefield. His breath got stuck in his throat, trying to make sense of what was happening right before his eyes.

Timothy landed a clear-cut punch right at the bandit’s face. A bandit who just a moment before rushed towards Rhys, so close to landing a final blow. But Timothy was faster, brisker. Just one of his punches was enough to make the bandit stumble backwards. Unfortunately for Tim, he was just as persistent. He drew out a knife and struck back at Timothy. The blade cut through his cheek, so close to his left eye.

In a moment, Rhys charged the nova at the bandit before him and turned around. His head was pounding with a sudden headache but he had to help Tim, he had to do anything. Yet when he made the full spin, Timothy already took out his handgun and landed the shot.

The only thing now cutting through the silence were their heavy breathes. They were alone. They handled everyone around them. Rhys looked at Timothy and turned off his stun baton.

“Timothy,” he started, a bright smile on his features looking at his defender.

“Hiya, beautiful,” Timothy answered with a wink. Rhys couldn’t tell if it was his Jack talk or he was genuine.

“How did you even find me?” Rhys took a step closer.

“Iii don’t really know. Guess, it was destiny.”

That he really couldn’t fight with. Rhys laughed shortly as Timothy turned around to face him completely. His eyes looked tired but they still had that spark with them. The spark that pierced through Rhys’ heart as perfectly as his shots.

Yet his brows furrowed as he looked closely at Tim’s features. Blood flowed slowly through the cut, dripping on his cheek.

“They got to you,” Rhys whispered.

“Yeahh, doesn’t matter. I’m just glad you’re save,” he brushed it off quickly.

But Rhys knew he had to do something. Then a realization struck him. He reached out inside of his vest and exhaled with a relief. A small tissue stuck in his inner vest pocket was still there. So he took it out and started cleaning off Timothy’s cheek.

Soft movements against his rough skin, made Timothy make almost a purr-like sound. Immediately after, Rhys hid his cloth and broke off the eye contact he’s had with Tim.

“Now, it’s fine,” he said with a smile creeping onto his features.

He tried to find the words, any words to express what he was feeling. But what was he even feeling? Tired because of all the bandits? Relieved that he was still alive? Or was it something else, running through his mind, keeping him away from any coherent thought.

And then he looked right back into Timothy’s eyes. Soft sight focused on Rhys and only on Rhys. With his hand a little shakier than he’d prefer to show, he pushed the hair out of Timothy’s eyes. His palm moved a little lower, cupping his cheek. He brushed his thumb against it, Tim’s skin becoming even warmer than before.

“Thank you… My hero,” Rhys started.

“Ehh, maybe a different word?” Tim raised an eyebrow.

“Right,” he thought for a second, yet shortly met his gaze again. “My… Knight in shining armor?”

Any other remark that could’ve been said between them melted into a hearty laughter. Yet Rhys stopped, feeling Timothy’s hands reaching towards his. He brushed over them delicately, almost as if to pull him even closer. So Rhys took another step forward.

He sighed, mustering up all the courage he had. The time was right.

“Tim, I know we don’t know each other for that long but I… I don’t know, I guess I can’t stop thinking about you. And your smile, and your voice, a-and just. I think I’ve fa-“

“Rhys. I feel the same.”

“I know, I- _Oh_.”

And in the first time in his life, Rhys was happy someone interrupted his thoughts.

Timothy’s strong hands moved swiftly to his waist. Before Rhys could say anything, with all of his strength, he picked him up, embracing tightly. He let out a laugh, so sweet it melted Rhys’ heart right away. So he laughed along with him, his cheeks burning already. Rhys brushed his fingers against the curve of his face and took a deep breath.

And then he kissed him. Surprised at first, Tim returned the touch, deepening the embrace. Their lips moved slowly against each other, still uncertain of everything that’s been happening. Rhys felt Timothy’s grip getting a little tighter, almost as if he was fighting his nervousness. But he didn’t mind. He just wanted to lose himself in his kisses and forget the world.

When they broke off each other, Timothy put him down steadily. Still clutching tightly to his hands, observing each detail of him. Rhys looked onto his face again, meeting his gaze. And his smile… So genuine, so sweet. His lip curled in that way that made Rhys’ heart race again. Paired with that pink tint on his cheeks, Rhys could swore he’s never looked more beautiful. It felt so perfect, he had no idea how any of this could be real.

“Can we cut this crap already?”

Because it wasn’t.

Rhys blinked in confusion. Soon enough from the loving grin, Timothy started to snarl with disgust. He took a step back and straightened himself. Sharply, he pulled his hands away from Rhys’, as if his touch burned like an incendiary bullet.

“Tim, wh-, C’mon, what’s wrong?” Rhys asked, his voice almost cracking in confusion.

“You really don’t get it, do ya,” he continued, raising an eyebrow at him. “Did you really think any of this was meant to be? That it meant something?”

“You just said that-“

“Rhys, look at yourself. And look what you’ve done to _me_. Let’s see, you’ve disregarded my words, you didn’t care what I’ve done to defend you, you made me lose my friend and _now_ , you’re making me play Mr. Sociopath all over again?”

This couldn’t be happening. His voice… It wasn’t like him, it was like a monster possessing him.

He sounded too much like Jack.

“N-No, Tim, that’s not what I-,” Rhys tried to reason.

“Maybe you really want me to be like that little voice in that head of yours, huh?” even his features seemed so foreign, as if they didn’t really belong to him anymore, “Or do you just see me as lesser Jack, like everyone else does?”

Timothy rushed at him. He didn’t look at himself. His whole posture now glistened in a bright blue light. And as he delivered his last line, his whole body seemed to glitch, shifting between him and AI Handsome Jack.

It wasn’t real, this couldn’t be happening, Rhys pleaded, taking one step away at a time.

“Of course not, Timothy! Timothy, I know I’ve done a lot shitty things but-“

“You’ve done enough, kiddo.”

This time he was certain. Timothy’s voice echoed and Jack was there to accompany him, mouthing each of his words in an even more satirical way.

He wanted to run away as fast as he could but Timothy was quicker. He gripped onto Rhys’ wrists, with force intensified by each second. But he didn’t stop there. In an instant, his hands pushed onto Rhys’ neck, tensing up and burying his fingers deeper into his skin.

Rhys wanted to scream. He wanted to plead, ask what was even going on. Yet the only sound he could make were his muffled cries. Tears streamed onto his cheeks as he tried to get away, punching and squirming in the hold. But nothing happened.

The last thing Rhys saw was a face. But he truly couldn’t tell if it was Timothy or Jack.

* * *

Rhys didn’t woke up with a scream. Not even with a gasp.

Instead, his body arched forward, building himself up. His breath got shallow as he started to examine his body. Firstly his neck, then his torso. But he was fine. Aside from his hands shaking like crazy and his heart pounding thousand times faster. He was fine. He had to be fine.

Rhys pressed his hands onto his forehead, ignoring their twitched motions. He tried steadying his breath, counting 4 seconds of inhale and exhale. It was just a dream, it was fine, he pleaded in his mind.

No. It really wasn’t fine.

Darkness still peeked through the caravan windows. Around him everyone else was sleeping, bundled up, trying to get last bits of relax. He took out his robotic hand and searched for the hour. A 05:28 flashed before his eyes. That explained it.

Just several hours ago, Rhys shared his plan of infiltrating Helios. It was a stretch, sure, but if they all had Vallory right underneath their noses, he had to act quick. Especially with Vaughn now missing after the fight. And so with a bit of help from Handsome Jack’s AI, he was ready to get the last Gortys update and finish what he’s started. One way or another.

That’s why they drove towards Old Haven to get to digistruct a Vasquez disguise for him. On the way there, it only made sense to stop by Timothy’s old shack and get everything he needed for his own disguise. August insisted on splitting them apart and getting Rhys to go with Finch and Kroger but thankfully, Sasha managed to change his mind. Or not thankfully. Knowing about the AI in his head, they really didn’t want him to go too far off.

Instead, Vallory gifted them a tracking device placed perfectly onto their van. Any change of the road would cause the vehicle to explode into pieces and well, them too. Naturally.

Rhys let out a low hum. Going back to sleep was probably a bad idea. Looking back at the built-in GPS he had installed in his ECHOeye, he noticed just how close they were to Old Haven. He wouldn’t get any bits of relief, if he’d have to wake up in a moment. And whatever happened back in his dream… He truly didn’t want to go back to this.

So he laid down for a second, trying to drain himself in his thoughts. He could try keeping it up as long as Handsome Jack AI wasn’t there to bother him again. Seemed as if even in a digital form he couldn’t have his “beauty sleep” disturbed. Rhys snarled at the thought. And at the thought of his dream.

But he couldn’t keep it up. He should ask if whoever had the driving shift now would want to change. Maybe the driving could make him forget that dream and actually focus on what was important. He looked around, trying to see who was asleep. Then his sight moved to the front of the van and he felt the whole world falling on him.

Right. _Of course_ , it had to be Timothy’s driving shift.

Rhys didn’t want to talk to him. Or no, he _needed_ to talk to him but he knew he couldn’t. Hell, he didn’t even know about what they could possibly talk. His heart felt heavy in his chest, thinking about everything he’s wanted to say, everything that’s been cluttering his mind. But he just couldn’t.

Timothy had to be angry. It wouldn’t even surprise Rhys, he had every reason to feel so. Yet the plan was the plan, it was all he could go with in that moment. Maybe he should have ignored the AI Jack’s calling and figure something else out. Well… Rhys had made his choice. Now he just had to live with it.

It wasn’t just that. Anything that went down in the Atlas biodome, Jack AI taking over Rhys, him being taken away by Crimson Raiders and somehow escaping back to the caravan. Then the plan and how Rhys had to convince him to play Jack again.

And of course, the confession. Rhys couldn’t hold it in him anymore. He had to tell the truth about the Handsome Jack’s AI in his mind. Both Fiona and Sasha didn’t took it in the warmest possible way. Timothy knew from the beginning, he was the only one who understood. But maybe because of that, they resented him as well. Just because he was wrapped in Rhys’ lie.

Once more, he took a deep breath. Yes, it was all around a bad idea. Might as well be worth a try.

He got up, struggling slightly with his step. Now would be the worst time to wake someone else up. When he managed to get out without any disturbance, Rhys just stopped in a moment. He _had_ to talk to Timothy. Even if Timothy had thousand reasons not to want to talk to Rhys. It was his only way of clearing any doubts and any tension between them.

“Hey, Tim?”

Timothy didn’t even spare him a look, “Are we alone, or is _he_ there with you?”

Oh, this definitely won’t be pretty.

“No. Just me,” Rhys answered.

“Well. That’s a good start,” he remarked, his sight still focused on the road.

Still holding onto the last bits of hope, Rhys took a seat next to Timothy. He looked out of the great front window. The darkness was slowly starting to break, only a handful of minutes till the dawn would have taken over. One last glance towards the GPS screen helped Rhys realize only how close they were to Tim’s shack. He still had some time.

He then observed Timothy. His face was illuminated only by the faint light of the GPS. In this moment, he didn’t even care to put on another illusion. His tired eyes, furrowed brows and lips pursed together showed Rhys everything he needed to know. A part of him almost wanted to appreciate the subtle honesty. Another part felt everything he’s done crash onto him in Timothy’s one look.

“C’mon, let me drive. You and I know you’re tired as hell, let me handle this,” Rhys hovered before Tim’s hand.

“And what? You, you’re gonna drive us off the cliff and jump out when I’m asleep, only because Jack wanted you to? I’ll pass.”

Scratch that. It will most definitely get ugly.

Quickly, Rhys zipped off with his hands and rubbed the wrist of his left hand. As usual he did so to calm himself down and collect thoughts. But everything now wanted his mind to wander off cluttered and unfocused. He’s never heard Timothy like this. He didn’t even want to look at Rhys.

He couldn’t blame Timothy, in the slightest. And even if it seemed like the worst idea, he kept on pursuing that talk he needed so desperately.

“Sooo, ehm. What are you thinking about?” was his best bet at the moment.

This time, he was met with a sigh. And a split second glance from Timothy, first time he’s looked at him today, “Athena.”

_Ah._

After the whole showdown they’ve had with Vallory, he and Athena have been taken away by the two other ex-Vault Hunters Rhys didn’t catch the names of. Knowing that these two were also Crimson Raiders made a little too much sense to Rhys. Timothy was able to escape and get back to the group. As of Athena? Tim just quickly explained that he couldn’t get her out. The look on his face suggested the worst, so no one else dared to ask any more questions.

That’s why Rhys had to know the truth.

“Please, tell me… What happened back there?”

There was a single moment of hesitation from Timothy’s side. Even while sitting by his left side, he could’ve seen his eye turning back away from him. Timothy bit his bottom lip and soon enough let out a sigh of defeat.

“Lilith, the commander of the Crimson Raiders, and you know that… Siren. Sent Brick and Mordecai to capture us. They had a deal with Vallory. We get captured, she has one less problem to deal with. Well, I guess, two,” Timothy started explaining. “Lilith wanted to know… You know. The Elpis story.”

“Wait, wasn’t she there?” Rhys furrowed his brow.

Timothy has told him this story. During one of the nights when they both looked at the stars, he’s shared the story of his Vault Hunter days. The story of how he was thrown into the action right away, met Athena and tried to survive the days and fights on Elpis. It would’ve been unimaginable for Rhys, if well, he wasn’t in the process of finding a vault himself. Only now he understood how messy the things could’ve gotten.

Amongst the survival and Jack’s constant nagging, he couldn’t have forgotten Lilith, the ex-Vault Hunter. The one who scarred Jack in the end. Oh, how many times Rhys already have heard the AI in his head, cursing her name. And the quiet resentment from Timothy who had to go through just the same.

“Yeahh but I guess, she really wanted to know why Athena took the job. And, me, as well,” van stumbled a little as Timothy changed the brakes. Being half blind, definitely didn’t make him the greatest driver. “So I said my line about student loans and all, and she… She kinda just let me go.”

“That easily? Doesn’t seem like the way of a ruthless leader,” he kept on insisting.

“Oh, I know. But when she heard that she just. Took a good look and said she couldn’t deliver a better punishment than my face. Then she commanded the Crimson Raiders to literally point me out of Sanctuary. With a gun,” Timothy finished his story.

Silence grew between them with each second. The uncomfortable kind, the one which made Rhys question too many things at once. He understood Timothy now. Looking at his focused look, he tried to find any words he could’ve said to make it better. Yet Timothy’s shaky exhale was faster.

“I should’ve stayed there. I don’t care if they’d shoot me or whatever, I _should’ve_ _been_ there for Athena. And now god knows, what the hell are they doing to her or if she’s gonna make it,” his voice cracked, as he held tighter to the steering wheel, “God, I’m such a fucking coward.”

His breath got a lot more shaky than he’d probably wanted to show. He still didn’t want to look at Rhys, so focused on one point in the distance. But Rhys knew he _had_ to do something here. Reluctantly, he took his hand up to Tim’s shoulders. His fingertips softly brushed against him, in a calming motion.

“Tim, no. No no, you shouldn’t have stayed there. These guys held you to gunpoint, there was no way out,” Rhys tried his best to soothe him down, even a little.

His tries might have worked out, as Timothy’s hands steadied down on the wheel. Noticing that, Rhys kept talking.

“You know Athena far longer than I do and you know, she’ll figure a way out. She can’t be held down by anyone.”

“Even a siren?” Tim asked, that sarcastic tone returning to his voice.

“Even a siren…” Rhys mouthed, concentrating on the gentle strokes he drew on Timothy’s shoulder. And not on how ridiculous his words sounded.

Despite the ridiculousness, Rhys felt how Timothy’s shoulders started to relax. His sight focused on his face. Hints of sadness hit his features but he seemed… Calm. Almost reconciled. Yet still not happy, in the slightest.

“When all of this is over, I’m going straight back to the shack. I’ve had enough of the vaults and Hyperions, and bandits and all that. No nerves for that,” Tim finally said with another sigh.

“Can’t… Blame you.”

At this point, he really couldn’t. Rhys went back to that day, not too long ago. When he and Vaughn have been saved by Timothy shooting Vasquez’ car. When they went back to his shack and told him what’s been happening. When he agreed to go with them.

Looking at his expression, Rhys really wish he never forced him to go on this adventure with him.

“What about you, huh? What are your plans after the vault business is finished?” Tim took him back from his thoughts.

He’s asked him this before. Several times actually. When they first met and during their long talks at the top of the van. The answer was always the same. Even this time.

“I have to go back. Get to Helios, finish what I’ve started,” Rhys said with a strange for him resentment, “I was promised a promotion and I’m gonna get one.”

His answer didn’t soothe any of Timothy’s looks. Instead, it almost seemed to further his worry, “You wanna rule Hyperion.”

“I… Have to, I guess. Maybe I’ll be able to set things straight there, I dunno,” he continued, losing the courage of his words, as he went along.

“You still believe it’s possible?”

 _No_ was the answer Rhys wanted to give to Tim. He’s seen enough that Hyperion was full of people ready to kill, lie, and steal just to get to a better end of the stick. Hell, he was one of them. _No_ was the right answer. Yet somehow, he still couldn’t give it to him.

“I do. I don’t know how but I have some unfinished business there. Can’t let this get away now.”

Timothy took a sharper turn, silencing any more of Rhys’ words, “If you truly want this, then let’s just get it. Maybe you’ll be able to handle these corporate idiots.”

Rhys waited for an “even”. “Even if you’re also a corporate idiot”. “Even if I don’t wanna do this”. “Even if you’d be no better than Handsome Jack”. All of these “even”s would at least deliver a punch Rhys should’ve gotten. But none of them came true.

Instead, they still sat next to each other, immersed in the silence between them. It was suffocating. Minutes passed endlessly and the sun began to start showing through the horizon. Yet Rhys’ mind couldn’t rest. He still thought about that one thing Timothy mentioned.

“Do you believe her?”

“Believe who?”

“Lilith. Do you… Do you believe what she’d said. About the punishment,” Rhys glanced over to Timothy.

And another moment of silence. Rhys almost believed he just chose to disregard the question but Tim’s words were faster.

“Yes.”

Without any needed explanation.

Again, Rhys couldn’t blame him. Everything he’s been through, everything he had to endorse now and into the future… It was all because of one mistake in the past. Now he had to pay for the lifetime of this. Used and beaten by all of the corporate world. The world to which Rhys belonged for most of his life.

“But you know what, maybe I deserve that. They say “don’t make the deal with the devil” and guess what, I just did. And you have no idea how many times I’ve secured this asshole and politely did everything he’s said. I deserve that,” Tim finished through the gritted teeth.

And everything he’s said hit Rhys in the face. All at once.

Corporate life demanded constant sacrifices. For Rhys, it started with college all-nighters and proceeded to taking down several people in his way of promotion. He knew the “deal with the devil” a little bit too well. He kept on choosing the worst option, just to get to the top. Even now, with Handsome Jack AI in his head he kept on following every word he’s said. No matter how terrible it has gotten.

There was a catch to all of this. Timothy made one mistake, changed his whole face and he had to live with this. Rhys was one of the people who constantly kept pushing him towards the pain. One of people who kept the death machine running. Ruining everyone’s lives just to get to the top of the ladder.

From both of them, Rhys truly felt he was the only one deserving of a punishment.

“Hyperion is merciless, I know that alright. But even if you worked there, it doesn’t mean that-“

He wanted to negotiate, say something which would set things right. But his thought process was interrupted by Timothy suddenly stopping the car. He then put a hand up to silence Rhys. Tim’s sight moved upwards, his shoulders tensed with a sharper breath. And then he focused on what was outside the window and let down his hand. So Rhys’ eyes followed his suit.

Throughout this time, outside had gotten much brighter. Pandoran skies welcomed the splash of blue, as the clouds rolled over more and more.

Even now, Rhys was curious about the skies all around him. On Helios, it was always dark, the only company being the stars. Even on his home planet, the days were fairly short. But Pandora was so much different. The days were longer than anywhere else he’s ever been. It was startling, yet so fascinating.

Now it was time for the biggest star of the event.

Sun rolled slowly against the endless skies, illuminating the surroundings. It was a slow movement, but still so easy to notice. Rhys watched the process in awe. Then in corner of his eyes, he looked at Timothy. He just quietly turned off the engine and watched.

“No matter how many times I’ve seen it, it still amazes me,” Tim finally whispered.

Rhys didn’t say a word. Just waited for another one of Tim’s cues.

“Jack made me wake up even earlier than him. Always said “well, kiddo, you’re an early riser, you can handle some boring stuff before me”” he said with a spot on Jack impression. How he did that, go figure, “I started to appreciate it. One time when I didn’t have to pretend too much.” Timothy turned himself to finally face Rhys, “Even nowadays, I just liked to wake up and watch it with my cats. Old habits die hard, I guess.”

And Rhys looked into his eyes. Eyes of the survivor who handled so many things in his life. Things he himself was probably responsible for throwing at him, in one way or the other. His soft tone struck to Rhys’ mind. He knew that when Timothy talked like this, he was the most sincere. Words straight from him heart.

“That’s why you always take shifts during the sunrise?” Rhys asked, putting the two and two together.

“Ehh, guess so. It… Calms me down.”

“It is quite beautiful… I’ve never seen anything like this,” Rhys answered, sentences forming heavily.

“Sure as hell is, kiddo…” closed his eyes, disgust forming at his features. “Sorry, sorry, it’s just. Hah, old habits do die hard.”

“It’s fine, Tim. I know that,” Rhys laughed softly.

“Thanks,” Tim laughed as well, a faint smile going through. But immediately after, he stopped. He looked away for a moment, his eyes reflecting the sadness, “Why the hell am I saying all of this to you, anyway.”

Once again, Rhys couldn’t bring himself to give him an answer. Everything pointed out for Timothy to just go away and never come back. Never say a single word to him again. Yet… He was still there. He hasn’t left him.

And before he could think of anything to say, he felt Timothy’s warm hands against his own.

“I’ve met… _A lot_ of corporate stooges in my life, I know their ways. Jack made sure I’ll know how they talk, what they think and what they do whenever they want an upgrade I should never give them,” Timothy started drawing circles around Rhys’ palms, his grip getting just a little more secure, “But you… Never really seemed like one of them. I mean obviously, maybe at the start but there always was something different about you.”

“Wh-What do you mean?” Rhys asked, turning his hands just so Tim could get an actual hold of them.

“I don’t-… I do know. Ever since the start, you always kind of advocated for me. When others never would’ve given that Jack face a second look, you were there. From the beginning,” then he took a deeper breath and looked straight into his eyes. “Rhys… I felt that you saw me the way I am, not that crappy disguise I had to wear. And it was only fair for me to look at you, in the same way.”

That look on his face, the softness against his words. Rhys’ breath got stuck in his chest as he listened to every word he’s said.

“Cause I felt that… Beneath all of that Hyperion splendor and shine, you understood me. I don’t open up so easily but it always felt so right with you,” Timothy then looked away yet still held onto his hands. Almost as if he still wished it was different. “Eh, I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“Tim… You can trust me. I promise,” Rhys pleaded, voice ready to crack under the weight.

“Rhys… Sweetheart…”

A loud thud took them away from any more thoughts. The whole van seemed to shook from just one motion. They both looked outside the window.

“Rakks,” Timothy muttered, all tensed up.

“…Oh, shit.”

“These flying things can tear off the whole van, if we’re not careful. You really don’t wanna see that,” he said and got up from the driving seat. Rhys knew behind this was probably a whole story. Maybe some other time.

During his stay on Pandora, Rhys has noticed many different living things. Most of them were out there to kill him, obviously. But he’s never really seen or even imagined anything like _this_. Flying bird-like creatures with sharp talons and probably sharper beaks. Or whatever it was in the place of the beak. They had to act quick.

Rhys looked around, muttering something even he didn’t know what was about underneath his breath. Looking from Tim to the window, one by one. And then he got it.

“Okay, I have an idea,” he said quickly, almost not to look too panicked.

“Go ahead.”

“You have to go at the top of the van with your rifle. Try shooting them and I’ll just. Try to get away as fast as possible.”

“ _What?_ Nonono, Rhys, there’s no way in hell you are going to ask a half blind guy to shoot these creatures on the top of a moving van. Especially since you have to move fast, cause if not so. Well, I’m either gonna be a roadkill or a dinner for a rakkhive.”

“Don’t forget the tracker,” Rhys tried not to look in its direction.

“Oh, crap, right, and the tracker! So roadkill, rakkhive dinner, or just good old smashed into pieces. Freaking fantastic.”

Well, Tim was right in every sentence he gave him. But it was their best shot anyway.

“Look, if it was up to me then- We don’t have time. I’ll be as careful as I can, just…” all of a sudden, Rhys touched Timothy’s shoulder, “Tim. Please, trust me.”

Timothy turned around. Firstly, eyeing Rhys’ hand and then looking back into his eyes. There was a moment of hesitation, as if his mind wandered off in every possible direction before making the final choice. Rhys was ready to accept his failure but then he felt Tim exhaling and building himself back up.

“Why the hell am still I agreeing on this,” Timothy shook his head. “Don’t screw this, okay?”

“High expectations, huh? I’ll try my best,” Rhys smiled, trying to boost him up. Or himself.

“I’m serious though,” his brow arched.

“Me too,” Rhys already took a driver seat but stopped and added softly. “Just be careful, okay?”

Tim was already on his way to the ladder, having his rifle and getting ready to go. But he stopped and took a final look at Rhys. And then he smiled briefly, yet so truly, “Well, I’ll try my best.”

And he was gone, ascending to the top. Right. Now to execute his plan.

A part of Rhys almost pleaded for AI Jack to come back to him. Give him another boost, just anything. But he shouldn’t. He needed to build up Timothy’s trust once over. Trusting that digital jackass would break everything down, once more. And so, Rhys had to be on his own.

Quickly, he activated his own ECHOeye. He could’ve just gone for the GPS they had installed in the van but this seemed much more effective. The ECHOeye showed him the road thoroughly, a line across his way of sight. Any attempt of even crossing that line would immediately get them all blown up.

Oh, and it’d be much better not to wake anyone up. Since it could just provide Rhys that long explanation he didn’t want to give anyone. Or quote anything Timothy has said to him.

So yeah. Easy peasy.

Rhys breathed out and turned on the engine. It was time to go.

All of his efforts went to focusing on the glowing line ahead of him. His hands were pressing harshly against the steering wheel, as if letting go would mean ending all of him altogether. Well, it almost did so.

He went on slowly at first, not wanting to loose eye contact with the GPS line not even for a moment. His muscled tensed, afraid of each of the moves he could make. Then he remembered Timothy’s words – they really had to go fast. Rhys pressed on the gas pedal reluctantly and wished he wouldn’t do anything too bad. Or too abrupt.

In his mind, Rhys wished that Timothy was alright. Then he heard a shot of the rifle. In the corner of his eye, he could notice a creature falling off the sky. A perfect shot, right through the animal. Rhys never doubted him, even for a second.

As he went further along, he’s noticed two things. One – the rakks were persistent sons of bitches. Incredibly so. As if the only purpose they had in their pathetic lives was to follow them around and try to kill them. Some of them flew right at the window but dodged it in the last second. Taking a good look at them, _good god_ , weren’t they ugly. And that terrifying screech. Rhys had no idea how everyone else was still asleep.

Eh, if skags were a good boot material then rakks might’ve needed that treatment as well, Rhys thought.

And two… Maybe it was too naïve to say. Maybe these were his emotions trying to play tricks on him. But the way Tim and he seemed to go along, even without a single word spoken made him… Happy. Relieved even. Rhys gripped onto the wheel, his heart racing as if he was just taking a driver’s license exam. But he knew he had to go steadily, when Tim relied his life on him. Literally.

Well… It’s not like it was easy to go steady with his emotions running in every single direction. In his mind, Timothy’s word echoed heavily, intensifying with each second. Did he really feel like that all this time? Or was it all just an overthought? But the way, he called him “sweetheart”… It couldn’t have been his Jack talk slipping. Rhys could tell the difference. Or his heart tried to convince him so.

Despite the fact that it all could’ve been fabricated, Rhys felt the same. On Pandora, nobody really wanted to take a second look at some Hyperion corporate drone. Nobody really cared. Maybe they were right after all. Yet, Tim, even with his history playing as a Hyperion CEO, still took that second look at him. They both understood their pasts. They were aware of each other’s roles. But they still took time to see what was there besides the social cues. It really didn’t help how different everything that Rhys felt for Tim was over the time.

In a split second, Rhys took a sharper turn. His hands gripped and turned the wheel around, full force. Just a moment before he would’ve driven right to the rock against him. The whole van shook with the abrupt motion. Rhys’ heart was racing as crazy. He didn’t leave the way guided by his ECHOeye, that’s a good thing. But was Tim alright? Did he accidentally knock him back? Silently, he cursed his tangled thoughts but kept his eyes on the road. There was no time. He just had to believe Timothy was alright.

Almost to reassure him, he’s heard another shot. A smile flashed on his face, suddenly feeling more eager to finish this. He’s heard a shot after shot, each time seeing less creatures in the air. He almost took another sharper turn, trying to avoid the falling rakks. Yet this time he concentrated fully, knowing how close they were to the finish.

Minutes passed like hours, behind the wheel. Nobody has woken up – which was just about fantastic for Rhys. But there was still no sight of Timothy. His eyes went from the road to the sky, begging to never see another rakk in his life.

Suddenly, he’s heard muffled steps from the back of the van. Steadying the push on the brakes, Rhys slowed down the van.

“It’s all clear. They’re gone,” Timothy leaned against the driving seat.

“Oh. Oh, we did it,” Rhys smiled brightly, seeing him again.

Heavy breath escaped Timothy, trying to calm himself down. He then laughed, “Sure as hell, we did it.”

So Rhys laughed along. He was so glad to see him back in one piece. Seemed like stupid plans sometimes just worked best. There would’ve been endless things he could’ve said to Timothy back then. Yet then his brows furrowed as he looked closely at him. His coat and sweater had a tear high up at his right arm. Blood flowed slowly through the cut on, dripping on his clothes.

“They got to you…”

“It’s… Eh, it’s fine, I’ve been through worse.”

“Nono, hold on,” he said, turning off the engine again. “Sit back, just. Lemme handle this.”

Maybe it was the exhaustion or maybe something else but Timothy didn’t fight off anymore. With a heavy step, he dropped heavily on the chair and waited. Rhys went back to the little counter. Frantically, he searched the drawers , trying to find what he needed as soon as he could. Yet soon enough, the little first aid kit fell into his hands.

Rhys opened the box and took out a med hypo.

“Uhh, Rhys, I don’t think that-“

“Do you know what these things can carry?” Rhys raised his brow.

Timothy blinked twice.

“Fair.”

Without any more hesitation, Timothy took off his coat and started rolling up his sleeve. Halfway, he stopped himself.

“You mind if I, uh. Take it off? It’s probably the easier way and I won’t accidentally cut off my blood circuit or whatever, and-“

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Rhys quickly answered.

And so he did. Rhys tried his hardest not to appear as he’s gawking too hard at Tim’s body but good god, wasn’t he well-built. But he ignored it (along with the heat on his own cheeks) and started working along. With a quick motion, he pressed the needle onto Timothy’s abdomen. In return, he only made a little noise at the back of his throat. The Vault Hunter days have probably made him immune to this. Or the surgery. Rhys didn’t have the mind to imagine what could’ve been worse.

He then proceeded to clean up Timothy’s arm with a gauze. Thankfully, none of the rakks have cut his skin too deeply. So he just cleaned it along, slowly and thoroughly.

“So ehm. Why did you almost drive us onto the rock?” Timothy asked amongst his actions.

 _Because I was thinking about that one time you called me “sweetheart”_ would most likely be the right answer.

“Ah, ehm. I dunno, just. I focused too much on one thing and didn’t notice,” was the vaguest answer he could give him. Always worked perfectly.

“Oh. Be careful next time.”

“Hope there wouldn’t be a next time like that.”

Not at any point of his life, Rhys would’ve thought that such a small cut would produce that much blood. Then again, he was never in the situation where he did have to handle any kind of injuries. He still tried his hardest not to gawk at Tim, so he spoke again.

“Thank you for ehm. Thank you for this,” he started awkwardly.

“For what?” Tim asked, trying to judge his expression.

“For… You know _this_. You trusted me. And you kinda had no reason to do that, so. Thank you.”

“No… Problem. Just felt right, y’know?”

“So you do care,” Rhys said, almost too cheekily than he wanted to admit.

“What made you think I didn’t?”

Their gazes met again at Timothy’s words. He was playing cheeky, obviously. And Rhys would’ve just disregarded it as Jack talk, if it wasn’t for the look in his eyes. Soft and sweet, still with that wicked spark. But most importantly… So sincere. Early morning sun streaks illuminated his face and glowed through his wavy hair. His warm skin tone seemed to go perfectly with the light, along with the millions of freckles on his face. Maybe there was another reason why Timothy loved the sunrise so much. Cause Rhys swore he’s never looked more beautiful.

Noticing for how long he’s been staring, Rhys cleared his throat.

“Iiii don’t know,” he answered, getting back to reality. “You’re right, stupid remark. Also ehm. Don’t worry about the coat, I’ll sew it back for ya.”

“You know I can sew it as well? ‘ve done this countless times, I’m used to,” Timothy brushed it off.

“None of these times were because of me,” Rhys’ voice came out a little too strong. So he laughed it off a little too awkwardly and tried again, “C’mon, don’t be so stubborn.”

“Could say the same for ya, cupcake,” he winked right back. And let out a longer groan, hating his own actions, “I’m really out of element. Or you know, too much in the element or-”

“Honestly, you’ll never sound like the AI in my head so. I’d say you’re about fine.”

“…What I’m trying to say is that. I’ll appreciate that, Rhys,” he finally said, his lip curling up in a smile.

Having the wound cleaned off, Rhys took a bandage and again, started wrapping it against Tim’s arm. He noticed the small freckles covering up his skin, even at this point. Even when he was all bundled up, he could still see the freckles on his neck. Knowing they went up to this point? It amused him just a little too much.

“There you go.”

“Thanks,” Timothy smiled sincerely. His eyes quickly moved away from him, realizing the situation, “I, eh, ehm.”

“Yeah, uh… Yeah.”

Silently, Tim put on his sweater again and Rhys hid the first aid kit back to the drawer. He took a good look at Tim and sighed.

“Let me drive,” he insisted once more.

Another moment of silence. And a little laugh.

“Well, you haven’t driven us off the cliff so. Go ahead.”

Oh, his laugh. It was way too infective, Rhys chuckled along while taking the seat next to him, “What if I do it now?”

“That’s why I’m staying here. Gotta keep an eye on you, kiddo,” Timothy leaned closer. His eyes closed immediately, realizing what he’s said. So he just rolled his eyes right back.

Rhys reassured him, “You know, heh. As always.”

“As always…”

Rhys turned the keys around. He was ready to keep on driving, his ECHOeye lighting up ready to show him the road. But instead he looked at Timothy again. There was something else cluttering his mind.

“Hey, Tim?”

“Yeah?”

Rhys took a deep breath but then he realized. Now was really not the time, “Oh. Nothing.”

* * *

“So, uh… Do you want to wake up Fiona?”

Sun has perfectly over the horizon. The Pandoran sky now clear of any clouds, scorched everything on the grainy surface. The place was familiar. Same rocks, same dust, same canyons you probably didn’t wanna drive into. Everything looked like a typical Pandoran wasteland but there was something else on the horizon. A small shack surrounded by bigger arches of rocks.

They have finally reached Timothy’s old hideout.

Rest of the road back went as smoothly as it possibly could. As there weren’t any rakks or other creatures ahead of them. And Rhys actually focused on staying on the road. So it went just about alright.

There was also… Silence. Not the uncomfortable one but one with a lot of things unspoken. The tension still seemed to fall between them, unable to say anything coherent. Yet that silent appreciation. That the other was still there, still so close.

Now, they just needed to get to the shack and get everything Timothy needed. Leaving the highly armed van unguarded though? Probably a wrong move. So Rhys suggested Fiona should be the one to take the shift.

“Me?” Timothy raised his eyebrow.

“Yeah, I mean… It’s probably best you’re the one to wake her up. After everything that. Ehm, she knows now,” Rhys bit his bottom lip. From both of them, she probably hated Timothy a little less.

“…Ah. Alright, I’ll go get her.”

Rhys stayed behind and just watched the events unfold. Fiona rose up with a very much so annoyed expression. He couldn’t exactly make out what they’ve said to each other but from her expression, he was truly happy Timothy was the one to do it. After a small talk, Fiona just slumped her shoulders in defeat. Maybe he didn’t want to admit that, but Rhys was certain it was Tim’s charisma which worked that out.

They both went back to Rhys’ side – Tim with his smile of accomplishment and Fiona with her eyes still hazed by the dreams. And that staple irritation always gracing her features whenever Rhys was around.

“Can’t believe I’m letting you two handle this alone. Or should I say, you three,” she muttered, her words cutting a little too clean.

“Ouch,” Rhys answered, unfazed. Or at least trying to look like this.

“Don’t worry, we won’t be long,” Timothy reassured her.

“I hope so. We shouldn’t be wasting time, especially now,” she added with a unusual type of sadness to her voice.

“We’ll just go in and out, like it’s no problem. Then we’re back on the way to Old Haven,” said Rhys already heading out of the van.

“Just try to form your own thoughts for once,” she rolled her eyes.

Fiona probably wanted to argue some more but he really just wanted to leave her. No need for more of that uncomfortable buzz his own consciousness tried to hammer in too much. She also had every reason to be pissed off at him but… Rhys just wanted to get at least one thing over with.

He took a quick look at Timothy, as he followed him by stepping out of the machine. There was a very faint hint of hesitation on his features. So faint that everyday person would probably disregard it. But Rhys could saw it. He could saw the twitch in his hands and the way his pupils shrunken suddenly. And something told Rhys that it wasn’t just a simple moment of stress.

“Everything’s… Okay?” he asked.

Timothy snapped back into the reality, “Yeah! Yeah, yeah, just heh. Been a while, hasn’t it?”

“If you don’t wanna go back, then-“

“No! No, it’s totally fine, everything’s under control,” Tim waved his hands, trying to brush it off. “Oh, crap. I forgot about my cats, they’ve been here for so long. What if some skags hunted them down.”

“I wouldn’t worry about them. They’re clever beasts, they probably hunted these skags themselves,” Rhys tried to smile encouragingly. “You’ll also be alright. I didn’t lie to Fiona, it’s just gonna be a moment. Surely, nothing too scary.”

“I can do “a moment”. I guess,” Timothy breathed out. “Okay, let’s do this.”

With his step still a little heavy, he lead the way to the shack. A little budge at the door and it was already opened.

It was exactly how Rhys remembered it. A small, yet well-organized space with everything a guy who ran away from Hyperion’s claws could possibly need. Timothy has told him before that even back in Helios, he had to live in small rooms made especially for doppelgangers. That’s how he was able to just make do with however little space he actually had. One of his many talents, Rhys remarked in his mind.

Timothy however didn’t seem to care too much about Rhys infiltrating his old place. Instead, he grinned widely at the sight of his cats.

“Guys!!! Sorry, I was away for so long, oh my _god_. Is everything okay? Did you get anything to eat, like at all? Felicity, stop biting Rhys’ leg. Ohhh, I’ve missed you all so much,” his voice couldn’t handle it all, as he looked in wonder all over his old place.

He then picked up some of his pets – the ones that didn’t just straight up climb onto him – and hugged each of them, saying sweet little things to them. And Rhys just stood a little further away from him, looking at the scene in wonder. Tim’s constant laughter and wide grins made his heart beat a little faster in the process. Something inside told him, this is exactly how he wanted to see him every day. Just endlessly happy.

 _Every day_. Even Rhys himself couldn’t believe what was on his mind.

“Uhh, Pandora to Rhys?” Timothy asked.

“Huh- What?” he shook his head. A little too much daydreaming indeed.

“I asked, if you wanna hold any of them,” his head arched in the direction of cats in his arms.

“Oh! Haven’t you mentioned that they aren’t exactly. Friendly? With outsiders?” Rhys’ mind went back to his first stay at the shack. All of the creatures looking menacingly at him with their little glowing eyes. Certainly not too friendly when it came to him.

“C’mon, they should know you by now! You’re not an outsider, give them a chance,” he encouraged him and handed one of the cats back to him.

“Aalllright just. Hah, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try,” Rhys’ voice almost cracked but Timothy was much more persistent. So he took the cat and tried his hardest not to break anything in it.

“Atta boy,” Timothy winked at him. Again. Oh god.

Truth be told, he didn’t exactly have a way with animals. Never had any of them, never seen much of them. Hell, he didn’t even know if animals were allowed on Helios. Except of course for Jack’s favorite Butt Stallion. But Tim’s encouraging stare was enough for Rhys to at least try it. And that goddamn wink. He just couldn’t say no.

So he cradled a little black cat in his arms, trying to make the animal as comfortable as he could. It was one of his smallest ones, a black cat with white socks on each paw. Rhys smiled as the pet tried to claw its little paws onto his vest. He gave it a little scratch right on the head and the cat answered back with a meow.

“Aww, see? She likes you already,” Timothy laughed approaching him. He let go of the cats in his hands, just to give the one in Rhys’ arms a little scratch right behind her ears.

With his other hand he reached onto Rhys’ shoulder, pulling him a little closer. Surprising closeness made Rhys all tense. Yet seeing Tim’s eyes get so soft and his grip so gentle, his shoulders relaxed. Oh, he was ready to lose himself in this moment.

But after all, they were there for a mission. He couldn’t interrupt it for any longer. Rhys cleared his throat, hating to interrupt the moment.

“We should, uh. Get it going, right? Not that I really want to, I just don’t wanna get melted by Fiona’s corrosive bullets even more.”

“Eh, she wouldn’t do that. Fire bullets work much better against the flesh,” Tim smirked, to which Rhys could only give him a pout, “But yeah, okay, uh. Let’s get going,” he said with a spark of confidence. However, Rhys could already tell it was a fabricated one.

Then he took the cat right from Rhys’ grip and let her land on the ground. Looking at him for a second, Rhys could already tell he was dreading the actions. Almost as if to postpone it, just for one more second.

But he couldn’t do it for forever. Timothy proceeded to go to his wardrobe in the corner of the whole room. It wasn’t exactly big but Rhys figured that he didn’t have that many clothes to begin with. Inside he saw a lot of old yellow sweaters, another coat and surprising amount of ammo stocked on the shelves. Timothy’s hands moved to the tallest of the shelves, the one he probably never wanted to reach to anyways. And along, he took the box out of it.

He trembled. Honest to god, Rhys could swore Tim’s hands trembled, as he turned back to him. His sight focused on the box, too frightened to even break the contact with it. Definitely not ready to look what was inside of it.

“It’s… Take your time,” Rhys whispered to him.

The tension was probably too much for him to handle, as immediately after Timothy opened the box. There wasn’t too much interesting in here. Just his old clothes he had to wear while playing Jack. Probably a little rugged and torn off in several places. Still spot on copy of everything even AI Jack was wearing.

Alongside the clothes there was the mask. The dreaded mask, Timothy hated so much. So many times he’s told Rhys how he hated the ridiculous and uncomfortable piece. To look at it and to wear it. Unlike Jack, he wasn’t scared of his own scar he had to be “gifted” in the process of becoming a doppelganger. Still, it was probably the most important piece of all the disguise.

Quickly, Tim exchanged the box just so Rhys could take the clothes from it. He did so promptly and waited for another one of Tim’s cues. Yet when he took out the mask and put it on the chair, his eyes got even more fixated. A shaky breath escaped his mouth, as he ran his fingers on its surface. It was unbearable.

“Tim?” Rhys asked softly.

“I really thought I’d break free, huh,” his voice shattered, his brows furrowed.

Rhys was certain, it was only his own fault. It was all his fault and no one else’s. None of this would’ve ever happened, if it wasn’t for his own stupid mistakes. It was his fault that Timothy had to go back to the life he hated so much. It was his fault that he just listened to AI Jack and went for the worst plan they could come up with. It was his fault with Athena, with the kidnapping, with every bandit they’ve encountered and with every stupid decision.

He really should’ve just shut up and get that goddamn janitor job. At least, he wouldn’t hurt anyone.

So he stopped for a moment, looking at the Jack styled clothes. The outfit he’s memorized completely, the one he himself wished to have some time before. It almost felt burning in his own hands. But Timothy’s expression full of sorrow and fear burned even more.

Rhys spoke sooner than he could think.

“Listen. You don’t… You don’t have to go back to us. We’ll figure something out instead. But you can just stay here with your cats and all. I won’t hold it against you. You’ve had too much to deal with everything already and… It’s fine,” he whispered and stroke Timothy’s hand, still gripping onto the mask.

Breath stuck in Tim’s chest. Rhys swore his eyes went back to back, trying to decide on anything and everything. But if he needed his time, Rhys would give him all time in the world. Even if it stung him, even if he didn’t want him to. He was ready to let go. He couldn’t let himself hurt Timothy anymore.

What felt like hours were just several moments Timothy needed to focus and find the answer.

“I… I promised you this, didn’t I? And I trust you. Even with that asshole in your head, I… I do. I’ll do it,” Timothy spoke slowly and softly, holding back at Rhys’ hand. “Besides, I’m finally gonna let go of the mask, right? After this, no more Jack. That’ll be worth it.”

Rhys still couldn’t hold it all in himself.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

Just two simple words, he’s wanted to say to him for the longest time. The words Tim deserved to hear for the longest time. Ones that were denied him, ones that Rhys was too scared to use before. Not anymore.

“I’m sorry, I… I will make it up to you, alright? I’ll give you a place on Helios. Or just build you a proper house. O-Or I will pay off all the cat food. I-“ he probably would go on for even longer.

But Timothy shook his head and chuckled softly, “Just don’t forget about me when you’re that big bad Hyperion CEO, alright?”

Oh. Right. That was the plan.

“You… Know it,” Rhys smiled and shot him finger guns.

Wasting no more minutes, they took all of the needed stuff from the shack. Timothy took that elaborate second, just to say goodbye to all of his own cats. If he finally had the opportunity to give them a proper “see you later”, he couldn’t pass it. Rhys just looked back at him, trying his hardest to make sense of everything that went on in his mind.

Suddenly the thought of being at the top of the Hyperion ladder didn’t seem so appealing. But what did Rhys want at this point even? He didn’t know. He couldn’t see his future anymore. All he could say was that when he looked back at Timothy, smiling so hard, talking so sweetly to his cats, it was all he really wanted. He wanted to see him smile. He wanted to be the one who’d make him smile. And maybe that really was the only thing Rhys was certain about.

“Oh, that felt good! Gotta tell you. I can’t wait till I see them again,” Timothy said. This time his voice sounded sincere to the core, and so reconciled, “Ya ready?”

“Yeah! Sure, let’s just go,” Rhys brushed off.

“You don’t wanna say goodbye to the cats?” Timothy cracked that key grin of his once more.

Rhys stopped for a moment. He wouldn’t have done this before but. It was important to Tim. So he boosted himself up.

“You know what, now I want to.”

“You sure? I was just joking, I know you don’t like them that much.”

“No no, I have to give them a try, right? I gotta make that good last impression,” he took a step towards them.

“Okay, won’t stop ya,” Timothy backed off. Yet from the look on his face he was more than happy to see that.

His eyes went all over the place. Tim has told him a lot about his cats but seeing them all in one place, waiting for him to make a move… To say that he felt overwhelmed would be an understatement. But Rhys knelt beside them and tried giving each a pet. He spotted the one who he held a moment before and smiled. Maybe this one will remember him a little more fondly.

Then Rhys felt Timothy’s hand against his shoulder.

“Alright, let’s go. Fiona is probably thinking of the angle where she wants to shoot you,” his head arched to the place where van probably was.

“Real encouraging,” Rhys wanted to remain deadpan but the corner of his lips wanted to go up a little too obviously to hide it.

“It’s just the truth,” Timothy admitted. “But hey, you did it. You handled my cats like a champ, not many can do it.”

“Gotta have some skill for the future right? If I’m gonna pay off all that cat food.”

“Eh, if you insist so much. I can’t stop you,” he just shrugged and went towards the door. “It… Actually means a lot to me, Rhys.”

“That’s why I couldn’t just walk off without saying goodbye, you know. What if I won’t get back here again? They gotta remember me at least somewhat fondly.”

 _Or if you never want to see me again after all this_ , Rhys thought in his mind.

Maybe he would. Or maybe it was a little too much to ask for. At this point, Rhys couldn’t tell for sure.

They walked off the shack in silence, watching the surroundings for the last time. Nothing in sight, no skags nor rakks. That was something Rhys definitely wouldn’t miss, after getting back to Helios. All the pests and the scorching sun of Pandora… He could think of only one reason he could bare to live with all of this. Maybe except for one. The one who’s smile was warmer than all of the suns combined. The one who was so brave, so kindhearted. But just the thought of it paralyzed him to the core.

Whatever. He just hoped Timothy’s cats would hunt all the Pandoran pests down.

Rhys stopped for the moment. Maybe he really needed to say something else to Timothy. But whatever it could be, it was interrupted by the digital sound of AI Jack appearing in his mind. Tim just took a one look on him and sighed. Yet, this time it sounded softer, more acknowledging.

“I’ll leave you alone,” he remarked and walked towards the van. “No hard feelings, okay? But kindly tell his digital ass to fuck off.”

In return, Rhys just mouthed a little “thank you” to which Tim just winked. Oh, goddammit.

Before he could say anything else, his mind displayed the image of said digital ass right in front of him. The posture glitched several times but soon enough was back in all of his glory. If Rhys could even describe it like that.

“Allllright! Back from the wonderful 23 hours of beauty sleep,” AI Jack laughed, faking the stretching.

“Could’ve made it 24 hours,” Rhys muttered through his teeth.

“Oooh, don’t be so cheeky, princess, doesn’t look good on ya. Anyways, what’s up, missed anything crucial? Your knight in shining armor saved your ass again?” Jack persisted, circling around the company man.

But Rhys’ eyes just followed Timothy as he stepped into the van. He just smiled back at him, arching his head towards the inside. He saw him greet Fiona, maybe even apologize for their bit of delay. And then he slipped away from his sight. Leaving him at the desert with nothing but the AI. And his sped up heartbeat.

“No. No no, nothing too crazy,” Rhys’ brows furrowed. Then his eyes sparked realizing something, “Actually, Jack? There’s something I gotta tell you.”

“Shoot me,” Jack folded his arms.

“Fuck off.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank u so much for reading, I hope you liked it!! ❤️💛💙


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